Early Jazz (New Orleans/Swing: ca 1900-1935) Part II
Swing
As the music evolved, so too did the dancers and the market for dance music. The mid 30s brought the advent of the Big Band, and for the first time, bandleaders could afford (financially) to hire 16-20 musicians, arrangers, copyists, managers etc. The Big Band Era at its height supported an estimated 600+ big bands - any decent hotel or ballroom had a house band; the more popular dance bands toured frequently.
The saxophone became a more permanent part of the ensemble - also, string sections were not uncommon. The approach in performance shifted from collective improvisation and loose feel to composed arrangements and tighter section work. An emphasis was placed by musicians on higher levels of proficiency - stricter requirements for tuning, agility, speed, etc. Leaders of 'Sweet' bands like
Glenn Miller and
Benny Goodman bridged the gap between jazz - looked down upon as a back-alley, 'black' music - and classical music loved by high society. Tuxeudos, fewer improvised solos and a clean, 'white' image helped their success with the white upper-middle class. See also:
Tommy Dorsey,
Harry James,
Paul Whiteman.
Alternatively, bands such as those led by
Count Basie or
Duke Ellington brought a more individual and stylized approach. The Basie band being known as the hardest swinging band around, while Ellingtons reputation centered on his innovative compositions and very distinct soloists.
Listening:
Benny Goodman - Big John's Special (note the simple riff-based motif, also the short solos)
Gene Krupa - After You've Gone (note the sense of humour at the beginning - trumpet player of high calibre, very fast tempo, you can hear quite clearly the bebop soon to come)
Count Basie
The music coming out of Kansas City was hot and dirty. Taking the developments and traditions of New Orleans and refining it with tighter arrangements and more soloistic pyrotechnics. Count Basie led one of the hardest swinging bands of all-time - faturing some stellar soloists. Basie's compositional formula was blues based - often relying on simple 'head' charts where backgrounds and harmony would be more-or-less created on-the-spot. The power behind the Basie band was not in innovative writing, nor even virtuosic playing; rather the individual stylings of the soloists was featured predominantly. Members like Hot Lips Page,
Lester Young,
Eddie 'lockjaw' Davis,
Illinois Jacquet,
Roy Eldridge,
Al Grey, Vic Dickenson propelled the band to heights of musical intensity; while the rock-solid rhythm section of
Jo Jones,
Freddie Green, Walter Paige and Basie anchored the ensemble.
The impeccable
time and
feel of the Basie rhythm section was not often matched, never surpassed...
Watch:
Corner Pocket - tight!
The Deacon
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Duke Ellington
Ellington, unlike Count Basie, was a musician in a constant state of metamorphosis. Considered by many to be the most creative and prolific composer/arranger in jazz history, the evolution of his writing encompases everything from simple riff-based tunes to elaborate and lengthy multi-movement suites, even movie scores.
As a writer, he focused less on stallar soloists, but on very individual stylists. Using players with distinct and original voices, his writing takes on a very organic feel. A few of his significant sidement include:
Barney Bigard,
Johnny Hodges,
Harry Carney,
Paul Gonsalves (saxes);
Bubber Miley,
Cootie
Williams,
Rex Stewart,
Ray Nance,
Clark Terry (trumpet);
Joe 'Tricky Sam' Nanton,
Juan Tizol, Quentin Jackson (trombone). Each of these musicians brought a very distinct sound - which Duke exploited as a compositional tool; featuring their individuality as important facets of his compositiions.
Duke led a very intense and driven musical life - leading his own band from his early 20s right up till his death in 1974. His compositions developed from straight-ahead swing charts (Take the 'A' Train, Cottontail, Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me) to extended and thoroughly composed works (Diminuendo & Crescendo in Blue, The Latin American Suite, the film score for Anatomy of a Murder).
Watch:
Satin Doll
Caravan
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I wanted to give plenty of musical examples, hope you enjoy them. They're all pretty short - usually under three minutes (that's all that would fit on a side of a 78). **Audio samples removed for copyright reasons**
Coming next - Bebop.